Ross Sadler will present on the following subject:
The Nepal Railway
Today, the small republic of Nepal is the subject of so many proposed railway scenes that it resembles 19th century England. Only one of these has so far materialized and that is a 5’6” gauge line, which links Jaynagar in Bihar State In India with Janakpur in southern Nepal. But this route has a history far longer than the modern broad gauge line. It was actually one of two narrow gauge railways (both laid to 2’6” gauge) that were constructed during the second and third decades of the 20th century, to provide a link between India and Nepal. The first of these lines joined Raxaul in India with Amalekhagunj in Nepal and construction began in 1927. Stretching for 47 kilometers, the railway line was closed down in 1965, after the construction of the modern highway, now known as the Tribhuvan National Highway, linked Kathmandu all the way to the southern border.
In 1937, construction on a second 2’6” gauge line was begun and this was the line from Jaynagar in Bihar State to Janakpur and extending to Bisalpura – a total distance of 53-kilometers. Trains ran between Jaynagar and Janakpur, with separate services between Janakpur and Bisalpura. For most of the line’s life, the motive power was steam, with an assortment of locomotives whose wheel arrangements varied from a standard three-coupled right up to 0-10-0s and Beyer Garratts. The fleet had received an augmentation with the closure of the Raxaul- Amalekhagunj line, some of the better members of that line’s fleet having been moved across country. The Jaynagar-Bisalpura line was dieselized in the later part of 1993, with second-hand diesels from India. Severe washouts forced the closure of the Janakpur-Bisalpura section in 2001 and the remainder of the line was closed in 2014, pending the construction of the broad gauge connection.
The presentation will show the variety of steam engines in use on the line and steam in action during its final months of 1993.
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